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STEVEN ADLER: I Twice Tried To Kill Myself

Michelle Oberg of Rukus Magazine recently conducted an interview with former GUNS N’ ROSES and current ADLER’S APPETITE drummer Steven Adler. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Rukus Magazine: Let’s talk ADLER’S APPETITE. Since ’03 there’s been several member changes and a hiatus. Are you happy with the current lineup?

Steven Adler: We’re playing all summer — 45 shows — and yeah, I’m really pleased with it. Everything has been going great between the rehearsals for this tour and the band. I have to say it’s funner than ever. We’re doing a couple GN’R tunes we haven’t done in the past and our new single that’s just out on iTunes; we got a whole new show put together.

Rukus Magazine: For the record, are you clean and sober now?

Steven Adler: Yes, I am. I actually just finished my last stint with Dr. Drew, Bob Forrest and Shelly on [the VH1 reality-TV show] “Celebrity Rehab”. Since I got off the heroin and the crack and the pills my life has been just a turn-around, but I was still drinking Jägermeister and smoking the pot. My life was going to a place where I have wanted it to go for many years; heading in a positive direction, but I wasn’t able to make the full commitment until I met Dr. Drew in 2008. I made a 180-degree turn in my life and made the complete change — I got off the rest of the stuff. It’s amazing how small of an effort it takes if you just give a little when you want to change. I never in my life would have imagined myself saying, “I enjoy being in rehab.” I was here with a bunch of crazies, just a bunch of loony tunes, but they were good people.

Rukus Magazine: What was the turning point for you to finally get sober and join “Celebrity Rehab”?

Steven Adler: I didn’t die. I tried killing myself, and you know, you’d think it’s easy to do, but let me tell you: it’s not easy. I could tell you there are two separate times I tried killing myself and both times I took 100 Valium, drank the big bottle of Jägermeister and shot up ¾ of a gram of heroin. The only thing that happened to me is that I had the best night sleep of my life. So, I just got tired of being sick and tired and feeling down. Unfortunately, you don’t realize this until you’re getting sober but the reason why you’re depressed all the time is it’s the drugs that are depressing you. Cocaine and heroin are depressants; Valium is a depressant; alcohol and cigarettes are a depressant.